“Fear is freedom! Subjugation is liberation! Contradiction is truth! Those are the facts of this world! And you will all surrender to them, you pigs in human clothing!”

—Satsuki addressing the students of Honnōji Academy

Satsuki Kiryūin (鬼龍院 皐月,Kiryūin Satsuki?) is one of the main characters in Kill la Kill. She is the president of Honnōji Academy's Student Council, and rules over the surrounding land. She has absolute authority over the academy and is regarded with reverence by many of its residents.

Although she was the main antagonist for the first half of the series with an anti-villain motive, she becomes a deuteragonist in episode 17 as her mother Ragyō takes the role of the antagonist for the remainder of the series.

Contents

Appearance

Satsuki is a tall slim woman with an angular face similar to her mother's with long dark blue tinted hair and blue eyes. She has rather thick eyebrows and a rather large bust. She had long hair as a child, slightly shorter during her teen years, but grew it out later on. At the end of the series, she cuts her formerly long hair to shoulder length in page boy style.

Personality

Prideful to say the least, Satsuki is extremely intelligent, calculating, patient, while simultaneously unwavering and iron-fisted. Unlike with Ryūko Matoi and Senketsu, she had no shame in wearing the KamuiJunketsu in its most revealing form; she claims that her actions in donning Junketsu are, like the Kamui's name implies, "utterly pure". Satsuki refers to people as "pigs in human clothing", and justifies that the weak and foolish must be ruled. Due to her steadfast convictions, she also possesses a natural charisma and ability to lead others. In spite of her pride, Satsuki is shown to be pragmatic and determined, willing to cast aside pride and using whatever means necessary in order to secure victory, even if it threatens her life. When fighting Ragyō, Satsuki noted that her willingness to fight her mother and the Life Fibers was due to revenge, noting that great causes are born from personal desires.

In spite of her behavior at school, Satsuki is not heartless. While very harsh and not very willing to tolerate failures, she does care a great deal for the Elite Four; and is as protective of them (in her own hidden ways) as they are to her. As a child, she would always drink Mitsuzō Soroi's tea, in order to protect his feelings; despite disliking its bitterness for a long time, she eventually found it delicious. When she reminisces about this to Soroi, Satsuki, herself, notes that she must have been a kind-hearted girl if she'd gone that far to protect her butler's feelings.

Satsuki genuinely loved her father and her sister, enough to avenge them by attacking the mother who disposed of them. Likewise, despite a bitter, almost hatred-fueled rivalry with Ryūko for most of the series, Satsuki noticeably softens up to her when she learns that Ryūko is the sister she'd long believed to be dead.

History

Satsuki was the first born child to Ragyō and Sōichirō Kiryūin, and soon became the first failed test subject of being fused with Life Fibers. However, after Sōichirō learned the truth about Ragyō, he knew that he would be punished if he betrayed her. He secretly taught a 5-year-old Satsuki about her mother and the secrets of Life Fibers. He then revealed that Junketsu will be her "wedding dress" before he took an infant Ryūko with him into hiding.

While in kindergarten, Satsuki was friends with Nonon Jakuzure who knew what Satsuki was thinking.

After the attack on the S.S. Naked Sun in Episode 22, Satsuki allows Ryūko, still synchronized with Senketsu, to punch her, although the Elite Four protect her by standing in the way. After explaining the reasons for her actions to Ryūko, Satsuki calls herself a fool; she states that she cannot hope to win against Ragyō by employing her cruel methods—which include manipulating and using one's own family. Satsuki finally sees that the world's beauty comes not from being "cut from the same cloth", but from the innumerable, unexplained things that the world overflows with. She asks Ryūko to help her fight to protect that "beautiful world"; upon saying her part, Satsuki bows to Ryūko—a shocking sign of sincerity. Though Ryūko tries to stay angry at her, this uncharacteristic act convinces her to let her anger go.

After this, Satsuki becomes a bit more open and relatable to others. She shows this when the gang has a celebratory dinner of Sukuyo Mankanshoku's signature croquettes, when she agrees with Mako about their being delicious; and when Nonon Jakuzure and Uzu Sanageyama have an argument involving disrespect (Nonon) and lack of tact (Uzu), telling Ira that hearing them bicker "makes it feel that I've truly come home". She also refers to Aikurō Mikisugi as Mikisugi-san (lit. "Mr. Mikisugi"), to his shock, when she places him in charge of the Naked Sol. Satsuki displays that she is still dead-set on accomplishing the mission at hand. For example, in episode 23, she follows Ryūko's plan, distracting Ragyō while allowing Ryūko to reach the Life Fiber core unhindered. Later, in Episode 24, she tells the Elite Four to destroy the transmitter while she and Ryūko fight Ragyō.

In episode 24, as Ryūko falls back to Earth, Satsuki screams at her to hang in there, and catches her with the help of essentially every other character, holding on to her as the force from Ryūko's descent propels them all backward into the school. Once the dust settles, she gives Ryūko a warm welcome home.

In episode 25, Satsuki is first shown fighting Uzu Sanageyama in a kendo match, in which she wins after Uzu's kendo broke. Uzu's remark on why he held back was because he didn't see her and that her resolve have vanished. Later stating that he couldn't bring himself to strike her. Satsuki told everyone there that Honnōji Academy have's a month before being decommissioned as their plan against Ragyō have succeeded. During "Honnōji Academy First Graduation Ceremony", she told Soroi to make tea for all the students to drink and thanking him for all he has done. As Soroi leaves, she was planed to make a speak but was soon taken by a clone of herself.

After being captured by the false Satsuki, Rei Hōōmaru appears and tells her that she's getting revenge for the death of Ragyō and Nui. Rei uses Satsuki as a "first rate source for the activation of Life Fibers" for the Honnōji Academy Final Defense Apparatus. Satsuki comment that if she dies, that it will shut down but Rei reveals that Mako has also been captured and is also being used as a source. However, Rei was ultimately defeated thanks to Ryūko and the rest of the Academy's efforts.

Rei then returned to the capture Satsuki and Mako as they were trying to escape but Rei then lunged towards Satsuki, cutting her hair and the side of her neck. Satsuki told Rei that she "can't imagine the hell she had lived though because people don't understand, the world needs you". Rei replied, saying that she's not making any sense in which Satsuki said "That's who we are." Rei drops her knife, accepting her offer. Ryūko appears and comments to Satsuki, saying that she had finally put her sword away, in which both sisters smiled at each other. They all went to leave the now-sinking Honnō City. During the evacuation, Satsuki uses the knife Rei dropped and cut her hair leveled, as "a small offering to our alma mater". Satsuki then order all students to salute to pay respect to Honnōji Academy.

During the credits of the Episode 24, Satsuki is shown joining Ryūko and Mako on their "date", showing that she is really a kind individual who has come to care greatly for her little sister. She also shows a somewhat shy side as she blushes when Mako and Ryūko take a picture of the three of them together.

Powers and Abilities

Natural Capabilities

Physical Prowess - Satsuki is accepted as the most powerful fighter of the Academy with almost superhuman physical strength, speed, endurance and reflexes. Her middle-school self was able to emit a fighting spirit capable of downing 500 men, and she was able to incapacitate Ira Gamagōri despite his superior size, age and with him wearing steel armor. Even when stark naked, and with her hands restrained, she still had enough skill and power to kill multiple COVERS using nothing more than her two altered toenails.

High Intelligence - She is also highly intelligent and manipulative as seen by her plan to take down her mother and the various people she deceived and manipulated in the process. Likewise she demonstrated a strong sense of patience and willpower, to endure the capture and torture at the hands of her mother, while slowly planning an escape route and having the forethought to alter two of her toenails using the same material as her sword Bakuzan.

False Toenails

Satsuki also has two toenails made of the same material as the Bakuzan, which she can use just as effectively.

Former Powers and Abilities

After her first clash with Ryūko, Satsuki donned the Kamui Junketsu and was able to force the blood-thirsty uniform to bow to her will. Her utter lack of shame at her appearance also allowed her to immediately attain Junketsu's Life Fiber Override and true form. Under Junketsu's power, Satsuki is granted incredible power, and even the smallest of attacks are capable of causing exceptional devastation. She is also capable of altering her Kamui's shape, as seen when she altered one of her shoulder guards into a drill to attack Ryūko. However, due to her inability to overcome the human race's resistance to the Life Fibers, she is unable to fully synchronize with her Junketsu, thus being shy of its full power and capabilities, while exerting greater pressure and fatigue on her body.

After Ryūko rips off Junketsu and being freed of Ragyō's mind control, Satsuki has Junketsu modified, such that it is infused with the blood of Ryūko and Mako, as well as the fibers of Senketsu, to tailor it to her needs. As a result, Junketsu now gains access to Senketsu's alternate forms while placing much less stress on her body.

Life Fiber Synchronize (人衣一体,Jin'i Ittai?) – After Ryūko is brainwashed by Ragyō and forced to don Junketsu, Satsuki wears Senketsu to combat Ryūko. She states that even though Senketsu may dislike her, only she and him can stop Ryūko. While transformed, Satsuki is shown to be able to use all of Senketsu's alternate forms such as Senketsu Senjin and Senketsu Shippu, although not at their full power.

Ryūko has stated that Satsuki and Senketsu are not truly synchronized, and Satsuki is merely commanding Senketsu to do as she says. Despite this, Senketsu acknowledges that Satsuki and its heart are one with the desire to bring Ryūko back to her senses. Senketsu is eventually shredded apart by Ryūko, but reforms itself in time to protect Mako.

Secret Sword Bakuzan (秘剣縛斬,Hiken Bakuzan?) Satsuki is a master swordsman who wields the Bakuzan, a black-bladed katana in a white sheath with an edge that is claimed to be keener than Ryūko's Scissor Blade. Its strength is so great that one slash is enough to damage a transformed Kamui. While durable enough to clash with Ryūko's Scissor Blade on their multiple battles, the Bakuzan was eventually broken when clashing against Ragyō's fist.

Bakuzan Gako and Bakuzan Kōryu

Swordsmaster - Bakuzan was a special sword capable of severing Life Fibers, that was noted by Satsuki to have a sharper edge than that of a Scissor blade. It was eventually broken in half in the battle against Ragyō. The shards are eventually reforged into Bakuzan Gako and Bakuzan Kōryu, a long blade and short blade respectively, which are given to Nonon and Ira Gamagōri respectively. Bakuzan Kōryu is then passed onto Uzu, as Gamagōri claims that he is more proficient with blades. Both blades are returned to her by Sanageyama and Jakuzure. Now holding two blades, their effect is the same as the twin Scissor Blades, being capable of damaging Life Fibers beyond their regenerative powers. Satsuki's skill with these blades is extensive and adaptable, as she has gone toe-to-toe against various other sword wielding opponents.

Relationships

Satsuki appears moderately surprised when Ryūko brings up the latter's father's death; and with the Scissor Blade that Ryūko claims is the other half of the full weapon and demands to find the owner of that other half. A rivalry begins when Ryūko clashes against Satsuki in suspicion of being involved with her father's murder. Satsuki discloses little other than the speculation that there might have been involvement on her behalf, although it was more or less a lie. It should be noted however that Satsuki has shown no real desire to do Ryūko serious harm, even when she is left broken and defeated at her feet she is shown to have covered her with a blanket and left at least one piece of Senketsu with her. Satsuki seems to regard her as a useful tool to help her achieve her goals; any other emotions towards her have yet to be seen. It is revealed in episode 18 that Ryūko is actually Satsuki's younger sister, which noticeably causes a deep change in their relation towards the second half of the series. In episode 22, she and Ryūko make up at last and agree to fight together to defeat Ragyō. At the end of the series, they finally develop a close sisterly relationship.

While Satsuki has never been seen communicating with Junketsu, her initial encounter with him and the fact that she has to override him in order to transform show that, unlike Ryūko with Senketsu, she has to actually bend Junketsu to her will through sheer willpower. In episode 16, Junketsu starts getting agitated after being worn by Satsuki in Override mode for a too long, prompting Shirō Iori to administer a Life Fiber inhibitor, allowing Satsuki to transform him to his normal state. This left her extremely tired.

Despite Satsuki's battle potential with Junketsu, Ragyō reveals that the Kamui has not completely yielded to Satsuki—it has still denied her its full power. Satsuki does not appear to be fond of Junketsu herself, but deems it necessary if she wants to defeat Ragyō. When Junketsu's torn remains try to creep away, Satsuki pins it down with the reforged Bakuzan blades, telling it to stay put. She later has Iori fuse into Junketsu a mixture of her own blood, Ryūko's blood, and a small amount of Senketsu's Life Fibers. In Episode 24, along with the other students and their Goku uniforms, Satsuki willingly sacrifices Junketsu to allow Ryūko and Senketsu to reach Ragyō.

During Nui's first appearance, Satsuki is extremely cautious around her, as she seems to have some knowledge of her power. However, she still maintains her strong and impassive front when addressing her. As Nui is Ragyō's "third daughter", it's possible that Satsuki has known her since Sōichirō's disappearance. During the battle aboard the Naked Sol, Satsuki quickly deciphers Nui's doubts about the brainwashed Ryūko's allegiance; she states that if Ryūko truly is with Ragyō, body and soul, she'd be wielding both Scissor Blades. This shows that to Satsuki, Nui Harime is sometimes easy to read.

Ragyō Kiryūin is Satsuki's mother. It is revealed in Episode 16 that Ragyō and Satsuki have a less than pleasant relationship. Ragyō sees her daughter as little more than an heir to COVERS and is revealed to have been sexually abusing her daughter for some time now. Knowing her mother's true attention to destroying the Earth; she secretly plotted against her to revoke such possibilities. In episode 18, Ragyō notes how, despite her daughter's impressive achievements of wearing a Kamui and double-crossing her, she was ultimately a disappointment due to being unable to draw out Junketsu's full power, eventually defeating her and taking the Kamui for herself because she failed to be infused with Life Fibers. However, Junketsu is recovered by Satsuki in episode 22 and the two bitterly face off numerous times later on.

Nonon first met Satsuki in kindergarten. Although, Nonon didn't think much of Satsuki at first, Nonon became awestruck with Satsuki after Satsuki's sudden personality shift from happy and bubbly to serious and stone cold (due to Satsuki's father, Sōichirō, telling Satsuki the awful truth about Life Fibers and Satsuki's mother, Ragyō Kiryūin). From then on Nonon has pledged her undying loyalty and friendship to Satsuki. While it's apparent that Satsuki respects Nonon, it's unclear whether Satsuki shares the same level of closeness to Nonon, as Satsuki seems to regard all of her compatriots equally.

Soroi has served as Satsuki's personal butler ever since her childhood, and as such they developed a strong bond. While professional obligations are very clearly established, Satsuki shows great respect and consideration for Soroi, even pretending to like his tea (which in fact she finds way too bitter) so as not to offend him.

When Ryūko falls victim to Ragyō's brainwashing and is forced to wear Junketsu, Satsuki wears Senketsu in an attempt to stop them. She asks for Senketsu to lend her his power, despite of any feelings of hatred he might feel for her. Later, in the last episode, Satsuki reassures Senketsu, saying she shares his worries about Ryūko, but reminds him of the girl's tenacity. Indirectly, she helped Senketsu realize that he was evolving into something beyond a simple hybrid with human DNA.

Memorable quotes

“Ask not the sparrow how the eagle soars!”

—Upon donning Junketsu for the first time.

“Ragyō Kiryūin. You'll pay for taking the life of my father, Sōichirō Kiryūin, and for the life of my baby sister!”

—When challenging Ragyō Kiryūin.

“To unleash the most power, this is the form a Kamui must take! You cling to the puritanical views of the masses, proving just how inferior you are! But I won't be ashamed, if it means I can fulfill my ambitions, I will bare my breasts for all to see! I will do whatever it takes! For I know that my actions are utterly pure!”

—To Ryūko, explaining that she's not embarrassed to wear a Kamui.

Trivia

Episode 1: Satsuki's "facts of this world" are heavily inspired by George Orwell's most famous novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four. In the novel, the Party's slogans—"War is Peace", "Freedom is Slavery", and "Ignorance is Strength"—were paradoxical statements that held hidden truths about the world in the novel. Satsuki's "facts of this world" speech, coupled with Ira's execution of the Goku Uniform thief, were intentionally chosen to introduce her as a ruthless dictator.